Psalms

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PSALM 65^*

Thanksgiving for God’s Blessings

1For the leader. A psalm of David. A song.

I

2To you we owe our hymn of praise,

O God on Zion;

To you our vows^* must be fulfilled,

3^*you who hear our prayers.

To you all flesh must come^a

4with its burden of wicked deeds.

We are overcome by our sins;

only you can pardon them.^b

5Blessed the one whom you will choose and bring

to dwell in your courts.

May we be filled with the good things of your house,

your holy temple!

II

6You answer us with awesome deeds^* of justice,

O God our savior,

The hope of all the ends of the earth

and of those far off across the sea.^c

7You are robed in power,

you set up the mountains by your might.

8You still the roaring of the seas,^d

the roaring of their waves,

the tumult of the peoples.^e

9Distant peoples stand in awe of your marvels;

the places of morning and evening you make resound with joy.

10^*You visit the earth and water it,

make it abundantly fertile.^f

God’s stream^* is filled with water;

you supply their grain.

Thus do you prepare it:

11you drench its plowed furrows,

and level its ridges.

With showers you keep it soft,

blessing its young sprouts.

12You adorn the year with your bounty;

your paths^* drip with fruitful rain.

13The meadows of the wilderness also drip;

the hills are robed with joy.

14The pastures are clothed with flocks,

the valleys blanketed with grain;

they cheer and sing for joy.^g

* [Psalm 65] The community, aware of its unworthiness (Ps 65:3–4), gives thanks for divine bounty (Ps 65:5), a bounty resulting from God’s creation victory (Ps 65:6–9). At God’s touch the earth comes alive with vegetation and flocks (Ps 65:10–13).

* [65:2] Vows: the Israelites were accustomed to promising sacrifices in the Temple if their prayers were heard.

* [65:3] To you all flesh must come: all must have recourse to God’s mercy.

* [65:6] Awesome deeds: the acts of creating—installing mountains, taming seas, restraining nations (Ps 65:7–8)—that are visible worldwide (Ps 65:6, 9).

* [65:10–14] Apparently a description of the agricultural year, beginning with the first fall rains that soften the hard sun-baked soil (Ps 65:9–10).

* [65:10] God’s stream: the fertile waters of the earth derive from God’s fertile waters in the heavenly world.

* [65:12] Paths: probably the tracks of God’s storm chariot dropping rain upon earth.

a. [65:3] Is 66:23.

b. [65:4] Ps 32:1–2; 78:38; Is 1:18.

c. [65:6] Is 66:19.

d. [65:8] Ps 89:10; 107:29; Jb 38:11; Mt 8:26.

e. [65:8] Is 17:12.

f. [65:10] Lv 26:4; Is 30:23, 25; Jl 2:22–23.

g. [65:14] Is 44:23.